ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) - Hours after presumptive Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin revealed her daughter Bristol was pregnant, senior McCain adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin rebuked a reporter who asked him whether there was a “sense of panic over the love child issue” within the campaign.

“All kidding aside – a little respect. I mean ‘love child' issue?” he responded. “I mean, this is a young woman. She is 17 years old, and I believe that treating it with a little bit of respect is appropriate. This is the governor’s daughter. It is their issue. It is something that we believe should be treated with a lot of respect.

“This is clearly something that we have a lot of concern about: the future of this young lady. She’s a wonderful woman. From the campaign’s perspective, we have an outstanding candidate who is a governor and she has a family. She loves that family, and this is their business.”

He would not tell reporters at a Christian Science Monitor lunch Monday whether he knew about the news before the statement was released. “It doesn’t matter when I became aware,” adding that the Palins’ statement “speaks for itself.”

“They are now conscious that their daughter will have to address the great challenge of raising a child sooner than they might have hoped. And that they are being supportive of her and the man that she will marry and they would ask that we respect their privacy and I think out of respect for that request that’s probably all we should say.

“…I said what I think we ought to do is recognize that the governor was completely vetted by the campaign,” said Holtz-Eakin. “Senator McCain has complete confidence in her as a running mate and as a future vice president of the United States, and the particulars of the family life of the Palins is really something that’s best left to them.”

He would not discuss how the news might play with the evangelical base, calling it a “matter of speculation” but said that “as they get to know her they’ll understand why the senator has such confidence in her as a running mate and as a vice president and that in the end they’ll be very pleased to pull the lever that says McCain-Palin.”

soundoff(213 Responses)

Mauri

To the Palin family, I say - God bless you in your love and care of this beautiful member of your family. Who are we to judge any of you with even a hint of criticizm? Senator McCain and Governor Palin has our support 100 percent.

September 1, 2008 07:29 pm at 7:29 pm |

Glenn T Fortune Sr.

The news media should keep their mouths SHUT, this is a family matter so go and do your job in other places.

September 1, 2008 07:38 pm at 7:38 pm |

linda

The Republicans are shady folk. Family Values? I think not. Now Sarah will have two newborns at home to look after. One is her grandchild, the mother of whom will surely have to finish high school and consider college. Now Sarah wants the second biggest job in the country. Family values.... I think not! Perhaps she should also consider sex education for her younger daughter. Go shoot a caribou and feel a bit better Sarah. Sarah, your credibility has gone to naught. And that Tucker Bounds is a fool.

September 1, 2008 07:45 pm at 7:45 pm |

bonnconn

What has this got to do with her, as a 47 yr old mother of 2, a girl 22 and boy16. this is insane, this is more common, then most people know. Maybe this is because she is white, less common among white then blacks. I am white and don't consider myself racist. But we all make mistakes , we are all humans no matter what color we are.We need to be more concerned with more important things in the world.

September 1, 2008 07:45 pm at 7:45 pm |

Texas Trail Kitty

This is a non-issue, but you can bet if Sarah Palin was a democrat, the republican 'family values' crowd would be all over it sneering and making stupid comments.

September 1, 2008 07:54 pm at 7:54 pm |

Well,

This is a difficult situation for this CHILD. Despite how the McCain camp tries to spin it...She is not yet a WOMAN.

Now, the reason this situation is so probed is because of Gov. Palin's stand on women's reproduction rights and teaching our kids abstinence only.

Hopefully, this will help her see the need for choice and teaching the post-teen child about all forms of birth control!

Hind sight is 20/20, but in this instance, Senator McCain should have been a little more thoughtful and a little less "Maverick" with this choice...

September 1, 2008 07:56 pm at 7:56 pm |

LR

What event, meeting, was Sarah Palin attending in April that was so important she risked her unborn child? There is nothing on the internet about this energy forum?

September 1, 2008 08:09 pm at 8:09 pm |

kmk [Canada]

I find this so sad, I was seventeen and pregnant and I needed my Mother so bad at that time. Gov. Palin has a new baby that needs her and now a very young seventeen year old that will need her and Palin will be putting ambition before her children, she won't be available 24 seven as will be needed and babysitters or nanny's will not fill in for her, how very very sad .

September 1, 2008 08:15 pm at 8:15 pm |

Nicole

Bottom line the Republican party is a party of Hypocrite parading around about family valves, conservative. Mccain and his VP pick try to cover up the truth this 17year old chlid was having a baby. To respect family valves this 17 year old child should of never had sex with out marriage bottom line.

September 1, 2008 08:33 pm at 8:33 pm |

Penni in Ohio

Who's subjecting the daughter/ Is it CNN and the other news agencies or the mother? I think the news agencies are making it difficult for the daughter (not the mother)

September 1, 2008 08:34 pm at 8:34 pm |

Carol Dorn Sanders

Thank you, Campbell Brown, for posing the question to McCain's spokesman tonight about the incredible selfishness of Palin–illustrated by throwing her daughter into the public spotlight with regard to her teen pregnancy. While I was thinking Palin was unbelievably selfish last week in taking time away from her children and infant child to run for the vice presidency, I can hardly believe the situation now. I certainly am proud of Bristol and her very adult decision to keep this child, but it's shocking that her mother is not willing to face up to her responsibilities as a mother of five and soon to be grandmother–who will need to provide "unconditional love and support." By the way, I am a feminist who would be incredibly proud to have a woman in the White House–as president or vice president, but there is a time and a place for everything, and Sarah Palin needs to think about someone other than herself.

September 1, 2008 08:46 pm at 8:46 pm |

SAN

Iam sure that lots of teens have made mistakes in their lives. Many families have had to deal with such situations as best they could with family support. I agree that this is their business , but when you become a public servant it's also the citizen's business.Palin's family might be the first family of America . The family that we , our children and the world will look up to as a role model for family values. America is trying to re-establish it -self in the world again . Palin's family is not a good example of a nation with high standards and morals.

September 3, 2008 02:10 pm at 2:10 pm |

Local Child Care

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